Tintin and the Caves of Lascaux
by AkuRoku18
Summary: After Captain Haddock leaves Malinspike for a few days, Tintin catches wind of the Lascaux cave discovery. While there, he winds up in a whole mess of danger. Prequel to 'The Order of Hades.' REUPLOADED spelling is hard . R&R!
1. Prologue

**Me: Hi, again everyone! :D  
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**Tintin: ...why can't you just stick with _ONE_ story? :I  
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**Me: Uhhhh... cos I don't wanna? -3-  
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**Tintin: Guh... fine. : I  
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**Me: Oh, don't worry, Tintin. I'll finish my other fic about you, too~ ^w^  
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**Tintin: O_o  
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**Me: Anyhoo, I decided to write another Tintin fic (as you can clearly see) that takes place BEFORE the other one. :)  
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**Tintin: Wait... uhhh... I'm talking to you now in the present... but this story takes place before I technically met you... god, I'm confused. ;A;  
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**Me: It's ok, Tintin. Can you at least do a disclaimer, ya? :)  
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**Tintin: O-ok. AkuRoku18 does not own The Adventures of Tintin, nor is she making a profit off of this fic... I'm still really confused... ;_;  
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**Me: Awww, I'll explain it to you later. In the meantime, you folks go read some fanfiction! :D  
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* * *

**Tintin and the Caves of Lascaux **

**Prologue **

**September 12, 1940**

"_Take a look at this, Jacques!" called a voice from behind a pinnacle of rock. Suddenly, a dog barked somewhere near the location of the voice._

"_What is it __this__ time, Marcel? Don't tell me it's another one of your jokes…" the boy called Jacques yelled back. His two friends trotted along behind him to see what Marcel was making such a big deal over. The dog barked again._

_One of two boys following Jacques, Simon, whispered to his companion, Georges, "You know, I think Marcel has a prank planned for us."_

"_Like what?" Georges whispered back._

"_Well… I don't know… something childish like lure us all into a pit while that confounded dog of hi—" But Simon's statement was cut off when he slid feet first into a dark cave. Georges and Jacques stopped walking before they too fell into the hole. _

_Simon got to his feet, brushed the dirt off his pants, looked around the dark cave and immediately said something graceful: "__Maudit__. It's dark."_

"_Tch. __Bien sûr, __tromper. Fortunately for me, I brought my torch.__" Marcel reached into his bag pulled out a flashlight. He flipped the on switch and a dim light shone from the little metal object. The teenager shone the light on the wall and gasped. "J-Jacques! Georges! Come down here!" Marcel's dog, Robot, started to yip noisily. The wall was covered in primitive drawings of horses, tigers, humans, and other creatures. They seemed to be thousands of years old. _

_From outside the cave, the other two teens glanced at each other. Instantly, Georges said angrily, "Oh, no. You're __not__ getting me to go in there."_

_"Come on, Georges. Don't be such a girl," Jacques snickered, and slid down the wall of the cave to meet with his friends. Georges sighed agitatedly, muttered, "…__Je déteste vraiment__les gars __parfois…"__ and jumped in after Jacques. _

* * *

Little did they know, but Marcel, Jacques, Georges, and Simon had discovered an important piece of human history that would lead scientists to find new and crucial parts in the evolution of humans. But, also they could not comprehend the trouble it would be for a certain reporter and his canine companion.


	2. Chapter 1

**Me: Yay! I'm a quick little typing bunny, huh? :D  
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**Tintin: ... but, rabbits don't type... -_-''  
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**Haddock: Hip hip hooray! I'm actually in this chapter! ^w^  
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**Me: Yes, indeed, ma capitain~ :D - can't speak French to save her life...  
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**Tintin: ... erm... ._.  
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**Me: *glances at Tintin's awkward stare* U-um, anyway! Captain, will you do the disclaimer? :)  
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**Haddock: Ok, uh, I think I've seen you do this before, Tintin... uh, AkuRoku18 does not own The Adventures of Tintin, nor is she making a profit off of this story. Otherwise she'd be a money grubbing, untrustworthy, troglodyte. :D  
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**Me and Tintin: Ō_Ō**

**Haddock: ... what? :/  
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**Me: Err... go read fanfiction. :I  
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* * *

**Chapter 1**

**September 13, 1940**

It was a relatively sleepy morning at Marlinspike Hall. The sun had just risen, birds began to chirp beautiful songs, and Captain Haddock started to yell in fury. _Just another normal day at Marlinspike_, Tintin thought to himself groggily as he pushed himself out of bed. Not bothering to fix the tuft of hair that sat like a gravity-defying, maimed ball of wool atop his head, he called Snowy and went to see what the Captain was so angry about.

"Ten thousand thundering typhoons! This is preposterous!" the Captain roared, staring at a small scrap of paper as if it were to burst into flames. It appeared to be a telegram, but Tintin couldn't read what it said from where he was standing.

"For heaven's sake, Captain, what is it this time…?" Tintin asked, ending his sentence with a yawn. Snowy glared at the Captain.

Captain Haddock whirled around, stomped over to the sleepy form of Tintin, shoved the paper under his nose and hissed, "Read this horrid telegram, Tintin!"

Tintin took the slip of paper and read it out loud, "'To Captain Archibald Haddock ("They even used my first name! The bashi-bazouks!"). Stop. Report to 48° 50' 5" N, 1° 36' 6" W for immediate shipment to England. Stop. Command _**Algérie **_to aid the British. End.' Great Snakes! The army wants to ship you to the warfront? Why?"

"Apparently, their heads are filled with rotten seaweed," Haddock muttered.

"Well, are you going to go? '48° 50' 5" N, 1° 36' 6" W'… that's Granville, right?"

"Aye. But I'm only going to tell them they're idiotic Polynesians!" spat the Captain. With that, he stormed out of the room to get breakfast, leaving Tintin to stare at the telegram.

* * *

Eventually, Tintin had the decency to change out of his nightclothes and straighten his hair. He came down to the table were Nestor had prepared breakfast. The Captain was sitting in his favorite chair, smoking his pipe and reading the paper. Professor Calculus was sitting across from the Captain, also reading the newspaper. When Tintin sat down, the Professor greeted, "A fine morning to you, Tintin!"

"I don't know about that, Professor. The Captain's been asked to go to war," Tintin replied heavily.

"A show at four? That sounds lovely," the Professor said happily.

"No, no. Professor, I said 'the Captain might go to war!'" Tintin said loudly. But Calculus went back to reading the paper, saying something or other about a show. Tintin sighed and grabbed himself a roll. Snowy barked and Tintin gave him a small piece of the roll.

Captain Haddock noticed Tintin's gloomy expression and said, "Oh, come on, Tintin. Don't look so down. I'm just going to leave for a couple days to tell that bunch of zapotecs that sent me the telegram that I'm _not _going to serve in the army." Tintin looked at the Captain skeptically. "Really, Tintin."

"Alright, I suppose. But, what if they still force you to join?"

"Ha! I'll give them a piece of my mind, that's for sure," Haddock continued. Then, he got up and yelled, "NESTOR!"

Almost immediately, the butler appeared through the door way. "You called, sir?" Nestor asked amusedly.

"Pack my bags, Nestor. I'm going to Granville!" Haddock ordered.

"Very well, sir." Nestor turned around and went hurriedly to the Captain's room.

The Captain sighed and said to Tintin, "I'll go help him. I need to bring some… er… extra provisions." With that, Haddock followed his butler's footsteps up to his room.

Tintin chuckled quietly and thought, _Extra provisions? Bottles of whiskey, I'd bet… _The reporter was drawn out of his thoughts when the Professor was waving the newspaper in front of his face.

"Look at this, Tintin! This article is amazing! Prodigious!" Calculus said excitedly.

"What's so prodigious about it?" Tintin asked. "I can't really see it when you move it around so much…"

"No, no, I said prodigious! Look, I'll read it for you." The Professor cleared his throat and read, "September 12, 1940. Lascaux, Corrèze. Four adolescent boys discover what could be the missing link in human history. Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, Simon Coencas, and Marcel's loyal dog, Robot, stumbled upon the cave by accident while exploring the surrounding area. The boys say that they found primitive drawings from thousands of years ago drawn on the walls of the cave.' Is that not fascinating?"

Tintin took the paper and read the article again and said, "Yes, it's amazing, Professor."

"Yes, but I'm talking about the caves, my dear boy. Can you imagine it? Discovering ancient artwork, completely by accident?"

"I imagine it would be interesting, to say the least."

"Yeast? What do you need yeast for? Are you brewing alcohol?"

The reporter sighed and stood to leave the room, when the Captain came back in with a heavy rucksack slung over his shoulder. Several parts of the bag stuck out awkwardly, as if he'd hastily shoved bottles into the pack before Nestor noticed. The Captain shifted the bag and said, "Well… uh… I'm off."

"Er… yes…" Tintin said blankly. "Don't let the army pull you into this mess."

"Pah. As if I'd let them, the slave-traders," Haddock replied confidently as he turned to leave. Nestor had called a car (with some difficulty with the phone-number) that waited patiently for the Captain. In just a few minutes, the car drove off of the grounds, on its way to Granville.

Professor Calculus seemed to notice that a car just pulled out of the gate, so he asked, "Is Captain Haddock going away?"

"Only for a few days," Tintin replied, trying to reassure himself. Snowy trotted over to his master and whimpered. Tintin knelt to scratch the little white dog's ears. "Only for a few days…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Corrèze, under the light of the moon, a man wearing a black trench coat entered a dusty looking bar.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur Sylvestre. What can I get you this evening?" the bartender said, almost lazily.

"The usual," replied the man, taking a seat at the counter.

The bartender nodded and grabbed a bottle of vodka. He hastily cleaned a glass and poured the clear alcohol into it. "I honestly don't know why you like this Russian drink…"

The man at the counter chuckled and said, "Well, it's in my blood, you see…" He took a quick swig of the vodka and leaned in close to the bartender. "I have some information for Herr Löwenkopf about Mausschwanz," he whispered. The man was purposefully using German as code-words, just in case someone were to overhear.

"Well? What do you have, eh?"

"Mausschwanz is coming to Corrèze. _Le Petit Vingtieme_ seems to trust me completely now, and they told me that _he's_ going to be here," whispered the man in the black coat.

"Here…? Well, let him come. My men will launch 'Betrieb: Katz und Maus' immediately," the bartender hissed back. When another group of men walked in, he said, "It will be carried out, or may I be condemned to death. Hagel Kapitän von Gottfried!" As the bartender went to greet the other customers, the man in black smiled slyly and took another drink of vodka.


	3. Chapter 2

**Me: FINALLY CHAPTER 2! :D  
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**Tintin: Guh. You really are so mean to me... -_-''  
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**Me: Awww, not really~! I could be worse you know... 8)  
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**Tintin: ... your sadism knows no bounds. ._.  
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**Me: *evil laughter* 8D  
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**Tintin: Hmmm. I think I should just do the disclaimer and get this over with. AkuRoku18 doesn't own Tintin, or is she making a profi- Are you okay? O_o  
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**Me: *coughing* Laughed... too much... X_X  
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**Tintin: *pat pat* There, there. Anyway, you people go read the story. ._.  
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* * *

**Chapter 2**

**September 14, 1940**

Haddock had only been gone for a day, yet Tintin already missed his company. Nestor assured him that he'd be back soon.

"Do not fret, sir. I'm sure the Captain will be home in Marlinspike soon, sir," Nestor said.

"Of course, Nestor…" was the reply from Tintin's chair. Nestor sighed and left the room just as the Professor walked in with something hidden behind his back.

"Perhaps you can make him feel better, sir," whispered the butler.

"No, no, never on a Saturday, to be sure," Professor Calculus said. He walked to Tintin's chair and asked, "Are you still sitting here? You should get outside, my dear boy."

Tintin sighed and said, "I'd like to stay in, if you don't mind." Snowy whined and tugged at Tintin's pant leg, and Tintin shooed him away.

"Yes, but do you see what I have here? A letter addressed to you, Tintin!" Calculus handed the reporter the object he was holding.

Tintin took it and read the writing on the front, "'From _Le Petit Vingtieme. _To Mr. Tintin, 26 Labrador Road…' then, I suppose Mrs. Finch forwarded the letter to Marlinspike; I recognize her handwriting." He chuckled, "I suppose I should tell _Le Petit Vingtieme_ that I don't live at my old apartment anymore." Tintin took a letter opener from the coffee table beside him and opened the letter. Two papers were inside; one that looked very official from the editors of the newspaper and a letter scrawled out in a fancy-looking yet messy handwriting.

"What does it say, Tintin?" the Professor inquired, peering over the paper in the young man's hands.

"They want me to go to Lascaux to get a report from the authorities on the whole cave discovery." Tintin said, "They wrote a post script. Hang on… 'Try to get statements from the boys who found the caves as well.'"

"That's all very fascinating, but you've been asked to go to Lascaux? How exciting!" Calculus giggled. "You are a very lucky young man~"

Tintin looked at the Professor and smiled slightly. "I suppose so." His eyes drifted slowly to the other paper with the messy cursive writing. "What does this one say? Let's see… 'Dear Mr. Tintin, my name is Claude Augustin, a minor reporter for _Le Petit Vingtieme_. The editors there have asked us to work together on this report…' I didn't see that anywhere in the letter from them…" Tintin scanned the letter from _Le Petit Vingtieme_ again; he didn't read anything about a partner. Snowy growled. He didn't trust the letter much, either. "Hmmm… I suppose we'll meet this Claude character and see if his story is true."

* * *

Within two hours' time, Tintin was on a train to Lascaux from Loir-et-Cher. The train had momentarily stopped at the De Marcation line that divided Occupied France from Vichy France. The train was searched by a couple of Nazi soldiers and everyone's papers were checked. The passengers of the train had to stand in a line and bring their passports to an officer sitting at a table.

When Tintin brought his passport to the table, the officer immediately asked, "Dein name ist Tintin, ja?"

"Ja. Gibt es eine schweirigkeit?" replied Tintin. He rarely had to speak German, but fortunately he knew some. Snowy sat at Tintin's side, glaring at the officer.

"Komm mit mir. Jetzt," the officer said sternly, standing up from the table with Tintin's passport clenched in his hand. Tintin raised an eyebrow and looked at the officer's back suspiciously, but said nothing and followed the German.

"Was ist das?" Tintin asked. But the officer said nothing. _I don't like the looks of this… _thought the reporter. Snowy barked loudly, causing the guard to whip around on his heels and glare at Tintin.

He snarled through clenched teeth, "Halt den hund bis!"

"Ja, ja! Er ist einfach nur nervös!" Snowy growled and prepared to bark again, but Tintin knelt next to the little dog and hissed, "Be quiet, Snowy!" He picked Snowy up and put his hand over the dog's mouth. "Es. Er ist ruhig," he told the officer. The German snorted and turned around to continue leading Tintin to a large tent.

"Eingeben," said the guard when they came to the entrance, lifting the flap of canvas. He gave the reporter his passport. Tintin nodded and went into the tent. It was a circular tent with two tables; one that Tintin was facing and another to his left. The left hand table had a radio and portable telegraph station. The table in front of Tintin had a man sitting at it with his face close to the table. He seemed to be writing something.

The man looked up from his paperwork and gestured for Tintin to sit at the table. "Willkommen, Herr Tintin. Please take a seat," he said. The reporter stayed where he was.

"Excuse me, but what's going on here? Why was I brought here? Who are you?"

"I'm sure all of your questions will be answered over a drink, eh, Herr Tintin?" laughed the man, pulling a bottle of gin out of his desk. "Ahh… Steinhäger… the finest German gin. Would you care for some?"

"No, thank you. I don't drink," Tintin replied. He decided it would be a good idea to take the seat the German had offered, considering he was right in the middle of a Nazi camp. While sitting, he examined the man sitting across from him. He had slicked back, dark blonde hair with grey streaks just beginning to appear and cold blue eyes. The man had a small scar on his cheek. He wore a fancy looking, dark green military uniform with several medals on it.

After the German had poured a glass of gin for himself, he said, "I am Captain Axel von Gottfried, leader of this little outpost."

"Why am I here?" Tintin asked firmly. Snowy started growling, but Tintin put his hand over the dog's mouth again.

"Patience, patience, mein freund. I just need to recheck your papers to be sure everything is in order, Herr Tintin," von Gottfried replied, beckoning Tintin to give him the passport.

Tintin eyed the gun at the German's side and concluded it would be wise to follow von Gottfried's commands. He put the passport on the table and the man opposite from him took it. The reporter watched anxiously as von Gottfried flipped through the little book.

"You've been around the world, correct, Herr Tintin?" asked the German, not even looking up from the passport.

"More or less," Tintin replied. Snowy squirmed slightly in Tintin's arms.

"I've heard you've stopped notorious criminals. Would you say that makes you a Sherlock Holmes of today's age?"

_Is this an interview or an interrogation? _"I wouldn't necessarily say that, sir," the reporter said.

"Back home in my town of Heinsburg, talk of your heroics inspired many people."

"I… I'm glad to hear that."

Von Gottfried closed Tintin's passport and set it on his desk. He folded his hands and said, "I've checked over your papers, Herr Tintin. It seems they are not in order. You'll have to stay here until we verify them." He stood and walked a few paces. Before Tintin could protest, the German continued, "But, do not fear. We'll make your stay very comfortable."

* * *

_Very comfortable, indeed,_ Tintin thought as he sat on a bunk that was as hard as rock. The same guard that brought him to the camp led him to a small tent guarded at both entrances. It was a dusty canvas tent with a bunk and a bucket. Snowy paced back and forth agitatedly. Occasionally, the guards would say something or laugh, breaking the silence of the night.

Eventually, Tintin stood and stretched. He walked to one of the entrances and peeked outside. The two guards were asleep. _I see very alert and prepared men are in the German army,_ thought Tintin amusedly. He checked the rear entrance, and again both guards were fast asleep. _Now's my chance to get out of here! _He beckoned Snowy to follow him and whispered, "Stay quiet." Snowy yipped quietly. Tintin pushed the rear entrance tent flap open and tiptoed past the sleeping Germans. Fortunately, it looked like the rest of the camp was either asleep or blissfully unaware that their prisoner was escaping. The young man was quietly sneaking over a barbed wire fence, when his pant leg caught on a barb. He tried to jerk it free, but that failed and he lost his grip of the wire, leaving a long but shallow cut on his arm. Tintin gritted his teeth but made no noise. Luckily, he managed to free himself from the barb and he half landed, half collapsed onto the ground. Fearing the noise may have woken someone, Tintin grabbed Snowy and ran to a nearby dip in the ground.

"Haban sie etwas, Erik?" a voice asked. Snowy growled softly, but Tintin clapped his hand over the dog's muzzle.

"Sie hören dinge, dumme Hans~" Hans's companion laughed. The two guards moved farther away, so Tintin could breathe again.

"That was a close one, Snowy. If only my blasted pants hadn't got caught…" He examined his cut arm. "Ouch… that's going to leave a mark." He shook his head and said, "Come on, Snowy. We've got a long way to go if we're going to get to Corrèze by tomorrow." Snowy barked softly in agreement. The pair walked west until they found the train line. The camp wasn't that far from the tracks, so their walk didn't take long. Tintin and Snowy turned south and began their trek to Lascaux.

* * *

"Idioten! How did he escape?" roared von Gottfried. He was pacing back and forth in his tent with the four guards that slept peacefully in front of Tintin's tent.

The first guard stuttered, "W-w-wohl… w-we fell a-asleep, mein Kapitän."

"J-ja, we didn't think tha—" the second guard chimed in, but was cut off when von Gottfried slammed his fist on the desk.

"NEIN! You aren't here to think, dummkopf! You listen to me, and you listen very well, dumm bastarde. You get out there and find Tintin before he reaches Corrèze! I will not have that damned Slyvestre beat me to it! Verstehen?"

"Jawohl! Hagel Kapitän von Gottfried!" cried the soldiers and they ran out of the tent.

Von Gottfried looked at the bottle of gin that he had left on the table. He snarled and threw it against the ground. "Verfluche ihn! Fluch dass Tintin! I swear I will find you. And I will kill you. And I will not let that damned vodka-drinking, sly Russian beat me! ICH SCHWÖRE, TINTIN!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Me: HOORAY~ I FINALLY UPDATED~ :D  
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**Tintin: Yes, indeed. What have you been doing all this time? :I  
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**Me: UGH. School and stuff. :I  
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**Tintin: Oh. Well, that sucks for you~ c:  
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**Me: ... it sounds like you're relishing in my suffering, waffle~ :)  
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**Tintin: Oh, what gave you that id- WAIT, WAFFLE?! D8  
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**Me: AHH! Well, you ARE from Belgium, after all~ ^^''  
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**Tintin: ... :I  
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**Me: ... Eh heh heh... ^J^''  
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**Tintin: Just do the damn disclaimer. :I  
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**Me: (WHOA LANGUAGE TINTIN *shot*) Fine! I, AkuRoku18, do not own Tintin, or the characters. Except for a couple. c:  
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**Tintin: Good. Now, you people go read already. :I *pout*  
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* * *

**Chapter 3**

**September 15, 1940**

It was nearly sunset by the time Tintin and Snowy reached Lascaux. They followed the train tracks from the Nazi camp to the town. Lascaux was a small town with a couple of buildings and houses. Tintin quickly located the hotel Nestor had arranged for him and tried to get into his room for the night. His papers and wallet were taken by the Germans, so he had no money or identification.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur Tintin. I can't let you go to your room here if you have no identification," the desk attendant said solemnly.

Tintin sighed, "Very well. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, sir." He walked out of the building and said to Snowy, "Sorry, Snowy. I think we'll have to sleep outside tonight." The little dog whimpered and stuck his tail between his legs. Not paying attention to where he was walking, he accidentally walked into another person.

"Oh!" the man exclaimed. He wore a long, dark brown trench coat and a black beret. His hair was black.

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't watching where I was going," Tintin apologized quickly.

"Oui, oui. It is fine, my boy…" The man examined the young reporter in front of him. "I say, aren't you Tintin?"

"Er, yes. I am," Tintin replied.

The man grabbed his hand and said excitedly, "My name is Gaël Cyril, editor of the _Le Figaro_. I am a huge fan of your adventures, Mr. Tintin. "

"Oh. Well, thank you, Mr. Cyril," the reporter said. Then he thought of something. "You… wouldn't happen to have a couple of Francs on you, would you? I mean… my friend's butler reserved me a room there… but I don't have any identification."

Gaël laughed merrily. "You want to get a room for the night, eh? I'm willing to accommodate, mon ami!" He clapped Tintin on the shoulder and led him back to the hotel. "This place isn't that expensive. I should be able to get you a room for the night. Under my name~"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Cyril!"

"I would think that someone of your caliber would have enough money to afford a hotel room, Mr. Tintin," Gaël said as he pushed the door to the building open. He noticed the long, red scratch on Tintin's arm as they walked in. "What happened there?" he asked, pointing to the young man's arm.

"Well, I was on the train from Loir-et-Cher, and the train stopped at the De Marcation line. All of the passengers had to have their papers checked, and when I gave mine to the man who was checking them, he led me to a Nazi base," Tintin explained. Gaël took out a note pad and a pen. "There, I was held there for the majority of the night. But, since the guards were asleep, I snuck out of the base. I was climbing over a barbed wire fence and my hand slipped, cutting my arm."

The older male stared in awe at Tintin. "Capture by Nazis? A daring escape under the cover of night? The managers at_ Le Figaro_ will love this!" Gaël said enthusiastically.

But, Tintin crossed his arms and said quietly, "Actually, I would prefer the public not knowing about this."

"How come?"

"I don't need to draw attention to me right now."

"Understandable." Gaël went to the desk attendant and started talking to him in French. Eventually, he said, "Alright! Your room is taken care of, mon ami."

"Great! Thank you again, Mr. Cyril," Tintin said, shaking Gaël's hand again. Snowy barked happily.

"Anytime, my boy. Now, then, I must be off!" The editor lifted his beret and walked out of the hotel.

Tintin took his room key from the attendant and went to his room. Snowy followed closely. When he got to his room, he opened the door and quickly found his bed. He flopped onto it like a ragdoll. He sighed, "What a day… all of last night and all day today walking. It's shocking that no-one caught up to me…" An exhausted Tintin drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**September 16, 1945**

The next day, Tintin awoke feeling refreshed and ready to start his actual report. The Germans had held onto Tintin's suitcase as well, so he decided he'd just have to wear the clothes he'd been wearing for a couple days straight._ I may stink a little… but, eventually, I'll get back to Marlinspike and wash these… _He sighed. "But how are we going to get back to Marlinspike, Snowy?" he asked. Snowy whined softly and nudged Tintin's legs. He scratched the little dogs ears and said, "That Nazi… von Gottfried… he can't chase me forever." He and Snowy went to the first floor where they heard some loud voices in the lobby.

"Und… you're _sure_ you haven't seen zhis boy before?" a German accented man asked the desk attendant. Tintin stopped dead in his tracks and peered around the corner. Some Nazis were standing there with his picture and his wallet. The one with the photo had a cross on his helmet.

The desk attendant said, "Oui. If I'd seen him, I'd have known."

"Let us see your list of reservations. Now," the cross helmeted German said threateningly, putting a hand on the pistol at his side. "We have reason to believe zhat he reserved a room here prior to his travels." Tintin gulped. Nestor told him that he'd gotten him a room at this hotel.

"Ah… here's his name… room 103 on the second floor." Tintin sighed in relief. _That room was under my name… the room that I'm in now is under Mr. Cyril's. Lucky break._

"Gut. Men, let's move." The Nazi squad marched down the opposite hall while Tintin tentatively walked into the lobby from his hallway.

The desk attendant looked Tintin's way and said, "Hey… aren't those guys looking for you?" He had a look of fear and shock on his face.

"No. I'm not Tintin… I'm…" Tintin thought for a minute. "Thibault. Thibault Cyril. My father rented me a room here last night." The desk attendant looked doubtful, but didn't say anything. Tintin gave him an earnest wave and walked out with Snowy. When outside, he sighed. "It seems I won't be able to travel around Lascaux with all the Nazis crawling everywhere." He saw some laundry hanging out to dry, probably belonging to the house across from the hotel. "Well… I do hate stealing… but I'll return these." He snuck over to the laundry line and took a dark brown waist coat, a black beret, and a black trench coat. Snowy barked softly, as if mocking Tintin for his choice of fashion. "I don't have much better options, do I, Snowy?" He glanced at the rest of the hanging clothes; most of them were dresses and corsets. "D'you want me walking around in a corset?" he snickered. Snowy grunted. The two headed off into town, hopefully to avoid Nazis and find Claude Augustin to get the report done and overwith.


	5. Chapter 4

**Me: Mue heh heh heh~ 8D  
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**Tintin: ... -_-  
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**Me: Oh, what's got your waffle in a twist, eh? :D  
**

**Tintin: ... just... you... -_-  
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**Me: Ehh? Moi? :O  
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**Tintin: ... why do you have people attack me all the time...? -_-  
**

**Me: Hee hee. Oh that. *waves hand dismissively* You're just Tintin; bad guys that want to kill you are just attracted to you~! :D  
**

**Tintin: A-attracted to me?! Wait, you mean... like the stuff you write about my good friend Arthur? ****Ō_Ō**  


**Me: *chokes on milk I was drinking and spits it everywhere* AbwahahaWHAAAAT?! OoO''  
**

**Tintin: ... oh, I guess that wasn't what you meant. ^_^''**

**Me: *looks stupidly at Tintin with milk dribbling down my face* ... ****Ō_Ō''**  


**Tintin: ... um... AkuRoku18 doesn't own The Adventures of Tintin... or myself... and... yeah... -_-''  
**

**Me: Right... go read fanfiction. ._. *thinking* _HOW DID TINTIN FIND OUT WHAT YAOI ONE-SHOTS ARE?! HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS TO HIM?! _Q^Q  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**September 16, 1940**

Through the throng of people, Tintin blended in with the citizens of Lascaux. The beret covered his tuft of hair and he wore the trench coat's collar up. Snowy followed closely. "There must be some sort of festival going on or something… look at all these people," Tintin muttered. He looked around. There was a long line of people and some others wearing festive costumes. "Good thing I blend in, otherwise I fear the Nazis would find me quickly."

He walked further into town end eventually came to a small stone fountain with a stony lion in the center. "Great snakes! Look at this crowd, Snowy!" Snowy barked in agreement. Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. He whipped around and asked fiercely, "What do you want?!" He raised his fists and the person behind him reeled back, tripped on a badly paved brick, and fell onto his back. Tintin immediately apologized, "Oh, sir! I'm so sorry! I…" Tintin offered his hand to help the man.

"Oh, please, don't worry yourself, Mr. Tintin…" the man said, taking the younger male's hand. He was pulled up and dusted his coat off. He was dressed all in black with a fancy dress shirt and ribbon. His hair was black with silver streaks and slicked back. His eyes were an icy blue, but had a hint of fear in them.

"How did you know my name?" Tintin asked after helping the person up. Snowy growled.

The man laughed nervously, "Heh heh… I'm Claude Augustin. I recognized you the moment I saw you. I-I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh! You're Mr. Augustin! I'm terribly sorry," said Tintin, bowing his head in shame.

"Please, it's nothing. I shouldn't have come up behind you," Claude replied. He looked at the crowd of people. "Ah… this was my favorite festivals when I was a child…"

"What is it?"

"'Fête des rois et des guerriers.' It was a very popular tradition back in the day. I can't believe it's still going on…"

"Festival of kings and warriors? Hmm. Sound's interesting," Tintin commented. Snowy barked.

Claude turned back to Tintin and said, "I-I suppose we ought to start our report on the caves, eh?" He tugged on Tintin's sleeve and pointed to the edge of town. "The caves are over there."

"Ah. Let's go then," Tintin said. He followed Claude in the direction of the caves he worked so hard to get to. Snowy tailed him closely, keeping a watchful eye out for Germans.

* * *

A tank rolled up on a hill on the outskirts of Lascaux. The hatch opened and Axel von Gottfried came out, his eyes blazing with anger. He surveyed the town, monocle glinting in the sun. He shouted at the tank crew, "Ausziehen! Wir müssen ihn finden!" The tank jerked forward and slowly rolled down the hill...

* * *

Claude and Tintin had reached the famous caves. From a distance, it looked like a little hole in the ground surrounded by tall pinnacles of rock. Several police wagons were there, blocking off the cave from a swarm of reporters. Through the crowd, Tintin believed he saw the four boys that had recently discovered the cave. _This must be hard on them, _Tintin thought, _This much popularity must be difficult to handle when you're that young._ The gaggle of people were all talking loudly and obnoxiously.

"How did you manage to discover the cave?"

"Do you have any comments on the drawings that were found?"

"Boys, we want your dog Robot to be our new mascot for 'Dog's Paradise: Dog Chow.' We're willing to give you five hundred dollars…"

Claude inched closer to Tintin as if he were frightened. "Th-that's a lot of people…"

"Don't be so afraid. They won't hurt you," Tintin said. He tried to sound reassuring. Snowy whined and butted his head against Tintin's ankles. "Shh, Snowy. You're fine." He clapped Claude on the shoulder and said, "Come on! Let's get in there and ask what we came to ask." The older male nodded nervously and followed Tintin into the crowd.

* * *

People gasped and quickly got out of the way of the huge metal monster that clanked down the street, interrupting the merry festival occurring in the town square. Von Gottfried got out of the hatch and stood on the top of the tank as it came to a halt. "Citizens of Lascaux, hear me now! In your peaceful city there roams a criminal! A threat to the Nazi regime!" He pulled a picture out of his uniform and showed it to everyone. "This criminal's name is Tintin! Anyone who finds him will be greatly rewarded!" A murmur went through the crowd. "Anyone who has information on this man," Axel continued, "please step forward now! We wouldn't want any accidents, hmm?" He yelled into the tank's body, "Ziel ist in diesem gebäude!" The tank's main gun creaked into position, pointing at a residential home.

"Wait, wait!" someone shouted. A scrawny man pushed his way through the crowd. He stumbled forward. It was the desk attendant. "I saw him! I saw him!"

Von Gottfried smiled coldly and asked, "Where did you see this man?" He showed the picture to the citizens again.

"This morning! At the hotel! Some of your men were looking for him. He gave me a false name, but I knew it was him!" the desk attendant declared proudly. Von Gottfried's smile widened.

"Do you know where he went?"

The desk attendants face screwed up in concentration. "I… think… he probably went to the Caves of Lascaux. He's a reporter, right? All those fools go there!"

"Excellent, mein freund. The German army thanks you for your contribution." He turned back to the tank hatch and ordered, "Ausziehen!" The tank creaked forward, and the crowd parted to let the large steel beast go.

* * *

Eventually, most of the swarm of reporters, advertisers, and tourists had dissipated. Tintin and Claude were able to get their statements from the police and the boys who had discovered the caves. "Mr. Augustin, how about you interview the police, and I'll talk to the boys, alright?"

"U-um… okay… " Claude stuttered, fidgeting.

"What's up?" Tintin asked.

Claude glanced shiftily at the police. "I'm u-uncomfortable around the p-police…" the older male muttered.

Tintin sighed. _He's stuttering more now… what did he do to the police?_ "Alright, then I'll interview the police. Don't worry about it."

"Th-thank you…" Claude pulled out a little notepad and pen and went off to talk to the boys.

Tintin sighed again. "I wonder what he did… ah… it'd be best not to poke my nose into other's business." He took a small notepad out of his pocket and strode slowly up to the police officers. "Good day, officers," he greeted.

"Ah, bonjour, monsieur. Are you another reporter?" one of them asked kindly. His companions looked annoyed that there was another reporter asking them questions.

"Yes I am. My name is Tintin and I'm a reporter from _Le Petit Vingtieme. _My companion's name is Claude Augustin," Tintin said, pointing to Claude. He was talking to the kids.

"I see. Well, what would you like to ask, Monsieur Tintin?" the officer asked.

Tintin clicked his pen and asked, "How have you been handling all of this publicity? I mean, obviously tourists and scientists are flocking from everywhere."

"Oui. That is true. A lot of scientists have been showing up… but we can't let people into the caves yet."

"Why not?"

"Those scientists from all over Europe are down there now, actually. They'll come out in a couple minutes, but they have to do all their analyzing and testing and whatnot. We can't allow citizens and tourists to go down there yet," the policeman said, turning his gaze into the cave. "That's the main reason why the police were called in; to keep the public out."

"I see." Tintin quickly wrote down the officer's words. "Next question: What do you think about these caves? Have you been inside?"

The police officer laughed and said, "What do I think about it? Well, it gets this policeman some attention and something to do!" His companions nodded and chuckled slightly. "No, but on a more serious note, I think these caves'll bring some life back to Lascaux. We're not exactly the most popular city in France, not like Paris or something."

"I see!"

"And, I haven't been into the caves yet… I'm sure I will once the caves are open to the public," the police man said. He adjusted his hat and asked, "Good answers, eh?"

"Yes, thank you. I'd like to interview one of the scientists when they come out," Tintin said. "Can I just get your name, sir?"

"Certainly! Raymond Vespasien! That's my name," Raymond said proudly. "These two are Victor and Yann." The other two waved slightly. "2nd division of the Lascaux Police Department."

"Very pleased to meet you, sir," said the young reporter. He wrote down the last words. "Well, I need to be getting back to my partner. Thank you for your time, sir!" He extended his hand.

Raymond took Tintin's hand and shook it. "Anytime, mon ami! Adieu!" Tintin walked away from the policemen to rejoin with Claude. But he wasn't there. Nor were the boys.

_That's strange. Where did they go? He should have been right here… _Snowy growled and barked loudly. Some shouts were heard followed by some gunshots inside the cave. "What's going on?!" The policemen drew their pistols and truncheons, yelling in French. Tintin and Snowy ran to the entrance of the cave and skidded down the side. "What's happening?!" Tintin shouted. He faced a horrific sight; about ten scientists in white lab coats staring in terror at their fallen friends. Two of them were on the ground, dead. The four boys who had originally found the caves had their backs pressed against the wall, staring in shock at the perpetrator. It was Claude.

"Privyet, Gospodin Tintin~" 'Claude' said happily. He turned the gun onto Tintin. "I'll have to ask you put your hands up, ser."

Tintin raised his hands and spat, "What do you think you're doing, Augustin?!"

"What's with that tone of voice? I tought we were fwends~" 'Claude' said in a mocking voice. He cackled, "I'm going to snuff you out. Along with those troublesome policemen behind you." The three officers slid down the wall of the cave.

"No! You three stay back!" shouted the young reporter. 'Claude' pointed the gun and Yann and pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced his heart, killing him instantly. Victor snarled and pointed the pistol in his hand at Yann's killer.

"Oh, come now. I don't want to have to kill you, too," said 'Claude,' tilting his head to one side and looking annoyed. He turned the gun back on the four terrified boys. "And I _certainly_ don't want to have to kill them."

"Wait!" Tintin cried desperately. Snowy barked and snarled.

"Shut that dog up, Gospodin Tintin," hissed 'Claude.' "I don't want to kill your precious dog."

"Alright. Hush, Snowy! Be quiet!" Tintin whispered, kneeling to the dog and scratched his ears. Snowy huffed but remained silent. Tintin stood again and said, "There. Now, let all these people go."

"Why?"

Tintin gritted his teeth and shouted, "They don't have anything to do with this! You want me, don't you?! Let them go!"

"My, my. How angry. It's so unlike you to show much emotion, Gospodin Tintin. Did something happen to you?" 'Claude' asked in mock sympathy.

"That's none of your business," Tintin growled. "Just let them go, please! No one else has to die today."

"No one else, except you, perhaps~ Alright, fine. These fools can go free," agreed 'Claude.' His gun-wielding hand dropped to his side and he said, "You heard the man. All of you can go~" The scientists scrambled to the entrance, a couple of them picking up their felled companions. Raymond made something between a growling and a choking sound, but helped Victor carry the body of Yann and made their escape. The four boys ran to Tintin and immediately started asking questions.

"Will you be alright, Tintin?" one of them asked.

"Yes, don't worry, kids. You all get out of here," Tintin replied. Snowy barked at the other dog, presumably Robot. Robot barked back.

"A-are you sure? This guy is completely insane!" another said frantically.

Tintin chuckled. "I've dealt with worse. You four go on. I'll be out shortly." The four of them nodded solemnly and did as Tintin said. _I'm sorry I've gotten you involved… Raymond… those kids…. the scientists… _Once the four and the dog were gone, Tintin asked, "What do you want?"

"Haven't I told you nicely? I want to erase you. Smite you. Wipe you from the face of the earth~! Those all sound pretty poetic, nyet?" 'Claude' replied with a happy bounce in his voice.

"Why?"

"_Why_? What a silly question~" The older male fired a shot at Tintin's leg. The bullet grazed him, and he cried out in pain. 'Claude' giggled, "Because I can~! I'm a killer! I enjoy watching people beg me not to kill them! To watch them plead not to hurt they people they love~! It's so enthralling!" He laughed maniacally.

Gripping the wound on his leg, Tintin hissed, "You… enjoy making people suffer? You… you're sick!" 'Claude' quickly strode up to Tintin and struck him with the butt of his pistol in the temple. He collapsed to the ground.

"Sick? I'm a master of the art of killing! And now, people from far and wide will learn of the tragic death of the famous reporter Tintin~! How upsetting it will be! Everyone will remorse and I will be relishing in the glory! Glory that _I_, the Great Spirydon Sylvestre, killed Tintin!" He cackled and ran out of the cave. Snowy barked and started to chase after him, but decided to stay with his master. The little dog licked Tintin's face, hoping to wake him up. But he didn't. Snowy whimpered and heard something that sounded like a fuse.

_What's that 'pssssh' noise? It sounds like… like a bomb! Oh no! I can't drag Tintin up that hill; it's too steep. Can I put the fuse out? Not with that Sylvestre guy out there… the only thing I can do is pull Tintin further into the cave. Then at least he might live… _Snowy locked Tintin's collar in his jaws and started to pull him with all his strength. _Why do humans have to weigh so much?! _Snowy looked back at the entrance just as the bomb exploded. He threw himself over an unconscious Tintin and flattened his ears against his head. Splinters of rock showered everywhere, and the little bit of light in the cave was gone.


	6. Chapter 5

**Me: Heeeey, everyone! :D  
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**Tintin: Oh good. You're back. -says sarcastically- :I  
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**Me: Awww, ya didn't miss me? ; u ;  
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**Tintin: Not really. :I  
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**Me: Ouuuwwww! You're so meaaaan~ ; w ;  
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**Tintin: Hmph. You're the one who's mean to me... :'I  
**

**Me: I-I'll do the disclaimer today~! I, AkuRoku18, do not The Adventures of Tintin, or Tintin himself. If I did, I'm sure he'd be very sad~ :'D  
**

**Tintin: Yes, yes I would. Now, you people go and read. TT n TT  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**September 17, 1940**

Snowy whimpered. It was dark. The air was musty. Tintin was still out cold. _How long has it been… _Snowy thought, _days? Weeks? Isn't anyone trying to save us?! _ The little dog licked his master's face again, hoping to revive him. Fortunately, the wound on his leg wasn't terribly bad and it stopped bleeding quickly.

"Nnnh… S… Snowy…" Tintin muttered. His eyes opened slowly and he pushed himself up. He winced and rubbed his head. "O-ow… damn…" Tintin looked around, only to look into utter blackness. "Wh… what happened…?" He attempted to stand, but fell backwards again grasping his leg. "Kkh!" Snowy whimpered again, nuzzling his master's hands. "It's… it's okay, Snowy… we'll get out of here," Tintin said uncertainly.

* * *

"You son of a - !" von Gottfried snarled, slamming Spirydon against the wall. He and the Russian were in a Nazi owned bar in Lascaux. "Why did you kill him?! I was going to bring him to mein Führer and become the greatest German general in history… and you ruined everything!"

One of von Gottfried's men came up behind him and said, "W-well, sir, there could be a chance that he's aliv—" He was cut off by a gunshot from Spirydon. The soldier looked at his chest and collapsed to the ground; the bullet had pierced his heart.

"There is NO chance he survived! NO CHANCE!" Spirydon shouted, kicking the already dead soldier in the face. "Ikilled him!"

"Nein! I'm taking a squad of men and digging him up from those caves! Alive or dead, I will bring him before Hitler!" Axel hissed, wheeling around on his heels and storming out of the bar. He snapped his fingers to signal his men to leave. Some of the men grumbled but followed loyally.

Spirydon snorted and walked up to the bar. He hissed quickly, "Get me some vodka. Now."

"Y-yes, sir," the bartender said, heading off to find a clean glass. He set the glass in front of the Russian and opened a fresh bottle of vodka.

"Pour it, POUR IT QUICKLY~" Spirydon said threateningly, rubbing his hand through black and silver hair.

"Y-y-yes, s-sir…!" the bartender stuttered, pouring vodka into the glass. Spirydon grabbed the glass and downed the drink quickly.

"Just… just give me the whole bottle!" The Russian, without waiting for an answer, snatched the vodka bottle out of the bartender's hands. "Now, GET OUT OF HERE!" Spirydon shrieked. The bartender nodded and quickly ran away from the angry Russian. He breathed heavily and drank nearly half the bottle. "Tintin… he's not alive… NOT alive… I… I killed him~ I know I did~" he chuckled. His laugh rose to a maniacal cackle.

* * *

"O-okay… let's try this again…" Tintin muttered. He pushed himself up onto one leg and slowly stood up. He put a hand on the wall, but quickly pulled his hand back. "Right… can't touch the walls… might screw up something…" he said softly. He limped to what he thought was the entrance of the cave. When he bumped into some fallen rock, Tintin assumed he'd found the only way out completely sealed off. "Damn… guess we can't get out this way…" He moved to the left, feeling his way alongside the rocks. Snowy followed him closely.

"I wonder… Snowy, can you smell any fresh air…?" Tintin asked, panting slightly. He leaned up against the rocks and looked down at the little dog. His eyes had adjusted a little to the darkness, so he could make out Snowy's shape. Snowy barked hopelessly, but turned around and sniffed. His ears pricked up and he barked loudly, bounding off in some direction. "W-wait! Snowy!" Tintin cried, trying his best to run after his dog. "Blast it… where did he go…?"

Snowy ran further into the cave, with Tintin following slowly behind him, the dogs eyes more adjusted to the darkness. The white dog had indeed picked up the smell of fresh air, and was eager to lead his master to it before he ran out of oxygen. _Come on… I know I smelt something round here somewhere… _Snowy thought desperately, putting his nose to the stone and sniffing quickly. Snowy turned his head back and barked.

"Ah… he must have found the scent! Good boy, Snowy," Tintin said gratefully. He picked up his pace, cringing every time he put pressure on his injured leg. However, he couldn't see that Snowy ran down a fairly steep ledge, so when he reached the drop, he walked into open air and tumbled down the side of the wall. He landed on his chest on the bottom of the wall, barely conscious.

Snowy yelped and ran back to Tintin. He licked his face rapidly. _Oh no! Why didn't I warn Tintin about the ledge?! _He barked into Tintin's ear, trying to get him up again.

"… ugh… ow…" Tintin groaned. He pushed himself up and looked at Snowy. "Th… the ledge…" Snowy whimpered and bowed his head in shame. Tintin smiled weakly and patted Snowy's head. "I-it's okay, Snowy… I'm sure… you just forgot in the heat of the moment." He got up onto his good leg again and limped after Snowy, who had taken up leading him again.

* * *

"Wir haben die bagger, Sir. Wir sind bereit diese höhle wieder öffnen," a Nazi worker called up to von Gottfried. The general had ordered his men to round up anyone in the surrounding area who had previously dug trenches in the last World War to come to Lascaux and unearth the caves. Of course, this included some of his own men.

"Gut," von Gottfried said, with a small smile creeping onto his face. He then shouted, "Nun dann. An die arbeit!"

* * *

Tintin was on his hands and knees, panting, completely exhausted. The dank, musty air of the cave didn't really help him. He was dizzy, tired, in pain. He glanced up at Snowy who had repeatedly licked his face, attempting to keep him moving. The young reporter shook dark spots out of his vision and crawled forward. He thought he could see a light at the end of the tunnel, but he wasn't sure if it was real or if it was just a figment of his imagination. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out…

* * *

Meanwhile, von Gottfried and his men had moved several large boulders and could see very faintly into the caves…

* * *

Snowy barked mournfully; Tintin had collapsed and slipped into unconsciousness not but a meter or two from the narrow exit. The little dog tugged on Tintin's shirt collar, trying to drag him to the exit, but to no avail. Despite Tintin's small stature, Snowy was simply not large or strong enough to pull an adult human. He huffed and thought quickly about what he could do. _L-let's see… I can't drag him out of here… I'd bet my tail that the Germans are after us now… or that Spirydon fellow… so what am I left with? I could find someone to help… but who's out here? No one, that's who! _He howled sadly.

Then, Snowy heard some scuffling outside the exit. He immediately stopped howling and looked tentatively outside. He saw a man, probably in his early twenties, with a slightly rounded face and thick, brown eyebrows. He wore a checkered beret atop his short brown hair and his eyes were light brown. The man had two small scars across the bridge of his nose, but he wore a smile on his face as he kneeled down. "Hey, chien~ You lost in there?" he asked quietly, looking into the little cave, and gasping at who he saw. "What the… Tintin…? I heard he was lost in the caves… and the Nazis are after him… what do I do here… " he thought aloud, frowning slightly.

Snowy whimpered and pawed at the man's knees. _Please, PLEASE help Tintin! _Snowy thought desperately.

The man's smile returned and he said, "Okay~ I'll help your master. But you can't go ratting me out to any Nazis~" He looked a little concerned at the thought. But, despite that, he managed to weasel his way into the small entrance just enough to grab Tintin's arms and pull him out. Snowy followed the man and watched him closely as he lifted a knocked out Tintin onto his back. "Come on, petit chien blanc~ You'll be coming too, non?" he asked warmly. He lead Snowy and carried his master away from the rocky caves and down a somewhat grassy slope that lead into a small farm. "Look~ My family's house is there, chien blanc~! You and Mr. Tintin'll be safe here," said the man reassuringly, pointing to a little house sitting in the corner of the farm.

Snowy was unsure of the man at first, but, now he felt as if things were starting to look up.


	7. Chapter 6

**Me: Hello everyone! I finally got some inspiration to write some Tintin stuff! :D**

**Tintin: Oh lord... -_-''**

**Me: You're fine~ Now! I'll do this disclaimer! I, AkuRoku18, do not own the Adventures of Tintin, nor am I making a profit of this fic~! :D**

**Tintin: Right then. You people go read. Watch me suffer some more. TT n TT**

**Me: Oh, you're okay! -hugs- I'll make sure you kick some ass in the next chapter~~ -hint hint wink wink-**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**September 19, 1940**

Axel von Gottfried was sitting at the bar, rubbing his temples. He'd ordered a search for Tintin, the boy who'd somehow managed to elude the general. He grumbled when he thought about the pesky reporter and took a drink of gin. Von Gottfried loved the drink, but this time it tasted foul in his mouth. As with most of his problems, he blamed Tintin. Bringing Tintin before Hitler was supposed to bring him glory. Fame. Recognition by some of the greatest men in the National Socialist German Workers' Party. He would be promoted to Reichsmarschall, the highest honor in the Nazi army, and replace Hermann Göring. Von Gottfried chuckled at the thought, but was pulled out of his daydreams when a soldier cleared his throat behind the general.

"Herr von Gottfried," he said promptly, saluting as the general turned around.

"Was? What do you want, soldier? I thought I ordered all my men to find Tintin!" Axel grumbled as he looked at the soldier.

The younger man shifted slightly and said, "W-well… we are looking, Herr von Gottfried, but some of the other men are questioning you!"

"Questioning me." Axel's eyebrows narrowed. His face suddenly twisted up in anger and he slammed his fist on the bar counter, sending his glass to the ground, shattering it, and causing the soldier to jump slightly. Von Gottfried's ice blue eyes blazed with anger as he shouted, "Questioning me about what?! They are my mindless pawns! They do not need – no, they do not deserve – to question me! All they need to do is follow my damn orders! Is that so hard, soldier?!"

"N-nein, Herr von Gottfried! B-but they're wondering if what you're doing is really for the Führer o-or just for… yourself!"

Axel forced himself to relax. Underneath his now calm expression, however, rage still burned. He smiled coldly and said with an eerie calmness, "Nein, soldier. Everything I have done here is for mein Führer. Tintin is a major threat to the Nazi regime, and I intend to bring him down. But… that's not the point right now…" Axel got up and put a hand on the soldiers shoulder. "These are, of course, not your thoughts on me, are they? The whole… 'I'm doing this for myself thing', correct?"

"Nein, Herr von G-Gottfried…" the younger male stuttered. He noticed Axel put a hand on the pistol at his side. "I-I'm just telling you what I heard other men saying…"

"Gut. Because… you know what happens to soldiers who speak against their generals here?" von Gottfried asked coldly, pulling the gun, a Luger P08, out of its holster at his side and pointing it at the soldier's forehead. The young man yelped as von Gottfried continued, "They wind up with a bullet through their skull."

"J-j-ja, Herr von Gottfried! I-I won't think of it again!" The soldier's voice cracked out of fear.

"Sehr gut. Now." Axel put the gun back in its holster and smiled wider, the scar on his face warping. "Don't you have a Belgian spy to capture for me?"

"J-jawohl! Hagel Kapitän von Gottfried!" the soldier cried and ran out of the bar, muttering something in German.

Axel von Gottfried's smile widened further, revealing his teeth. "Very soon… Tintin shall be brought before me… and I shall have everything I want."

* * *

It had been two days since Tintin was rescued by Frenchman with the checkered beret. The reporter was resting on a small bed, asleep but very much alive. Snowy was by his side, anxiously awaiting his master to wake up. Eventually, he did, cracking open his eyes and looking around the small room. It was small with one window allowing what little light was outside in the night to stream into the room. Next to the bed was a nightstand. There was a desk in the corner with a small candle lit, illuminating some papers. Tintin sat up, much to the delight of Snowy, and asked, "Where… am I? Not the cave, obviously…"

"You're in my home, mon ami!" a voice, heavily accented with French, said cheerfully. Tintin's eyes darted to the doorway to see the Frenchman with the checkered beret.

"A-and where's that?"

"Just outside of Lascaux~ You don't have to worry!" the man laughed, walking into the room. He was holding a small tray with some croissants on a plate and a glass of water. "If you're hungry, then help yourself! I just made these~" he said, placing the tray on the nightstand.

Tintin nodded gratefully and took a croissant and wolfed it down hungrily. He hadn't eaten in two days, so he eagerly grabbed another. "Mmh… fank yu," he mumbled through the bread.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Tintin!" the man laughed. "Just don't eat too quickly, mon ami~"

"Mmh! Right…" Tintin chewed and swallowed, exhaling with satisfaction. "Those are good," he said, smiling slightly at the Frenchman. "I take it you're the one who saved me. You have my complete gratitude."

The Frenchman laughed and bowed, taking off his beret to reveal tussled brown hair. "As I have said, it's my pleasure, Mr. Tintin~" he said warmly. He straightened and put his beret back on. "I could never leave someone to die, even if they're wanted by those cheins allemands."

"Ah… right… Germans… Sylvestre!" Tintin said suddenly. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up shakily. The Frenchman looked a little shocked when the young reporter stood. Even Snowy barked in disagreement. "Spirydon Sylvestre. He's the one that trapped me in that cave in the first place…" Tintin muttered. Disgust showed clearly in his voice.

"Sylvestre… I've heard of him, mon ami," the man said, furrowing his bushy brows. "He's a Russian-French killer."

"How do you know?"

"I know because the very same man killed a good friend of mine a couple years ago… and another just three days ago. About the same time he confronted you, je crois que…" the Frenchman murmured.

Tintin narrowed his eyes and thought back to when he first encountered Sylvestre. The scientists. The boys. The policemen. Yann. "He… wouldn't have happened to be a police officer, would he?" Tintin asked somberly.

"Oui. A good friend. Yann Léonide."

"I… I'm sorry." Tintin sat back on the bed and rubbed his temples.

"Que? What for?"

"I was there. He and two others, Victor and Raymond, came down to help me with Sylvestre… but Yann ended up getting shot in the chest and there was nothing I could do about it…" Tintin muttered. He cursed under his breath and was tempted to punch something. The Frenchman sat next to Tintin and put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. The reporter looked up at the other male and saw a smile on his face.

"I don't blame you, if that's what you're thinking. Yann was doing his job. He… always had a good set of morals, vous le savez? I betcha he wanted to do what was right till the end," the Frenchman said with a hint of sadness creeping into his voice. He smiled a little more and continued, "But, bien sûr, I'll never blame you! You're not the one who did it; Sylvestre did."

"But, I…!"

The Frenchman closed his eyes and shook his head. "Non! No more arguing from you!" He laughed and stood up. "Je ne vais pas l'entendre!"

"R-right…" Tintin sighed and looked at the ground. He knew he could never forgive himself for the deaths of innocent people when a killer was after him specifically. But, he also knew he had to move on. Find Sylvestre. Clear his name from Nazi suspicion.

"Now then! I haven't introduced myself. How rude of me… I'm Eloi Guy~ Nice to meet you~" Eloi said.

"Likewise. And… I truly am sorry about Yann…"

Eloi nodded and murmured, "I know and I will miss him, but you can't worry about how I'm feeling right now." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Eloi ran to it and looked through the mail slot, running back into the room. His face paled. "S-sacrebleu! Th-the Nazis! They've come looking for you!" he said quickly.

"The Nazis? Damn… they must be looking for me… here, let me go to them," Tintin said, standing up again. His leg was still sore, but he ignored the pain and walked to the door. Eloi held him back.

"Non, non, non! Tintin, mon ami, don't turn yourself in! You'll be killed!" Eloi exclaimed, tugging on Tintin's shirt sleeve. "Or worse! You'll be brought to Hitler! Put in one of those concentration camps! Shot! Gassed!"

"I get it, I get it! But I have to find out what Axel really wants from me…"

Eloi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Axel?"

"Axel von Gottfried. The general who's sending all these Nazis after me. I need to find out what that general wants from me so desperately."

"But, can't you do that some other way?! The Nazis aren't gonna go easy on you just because you'r—"

The Nazis banged on the door again and one of them shouted, "Aufmachen! Wir zwingen die tür, wenn sie nicht daran halten!" Eloi looked back at the door and furrowed his brows.

"Sacrebleu… Tintin, don't do it."

Tintin shook his head and said, "I have to. I'm sorry, Eloi, but I—" He was cut off with a desperate glare from Eloi's brown eyes. They clearly read 'don't go.' Another bang on the door from the Nazis. Tintin shook his head again and broke out of Eloi's grasp. He walked to the door and opened it, startling some Nazis. "Here I am. You're looking for me aren't you? Take me to von Gottfried," he said coldly. Snowy growled.

"Ach… Tintin! You vill… uh… come vith us," one of the Nazis said slowly, pointing his machine gun at the young reporter.

"Fine." Tintin put his hands up in surrender. The group of six Nazis rushed into the house, a couple of them pointing their guns at Eloi who put his hands up as well.

"Französisch verräter ... versteckt den feind von uns!" a Nazi hissed, baring his teeth and hitting Eloi in the stomach with the butt of his gun. The Frenchman doubled over, clutching his stomach.

Tintin snarled and advanced towards the Nazi that attacked Eloi. "Hey! If you hurt him, I won't comply, you hear?!" he growled, grabbing the Nazi by the collar of his uniform. Immediately, five gun barrels turned toward the reporter, so he let the soldier go. Snowy growled, itching to sink his teeth into a Nazis leg.

The leader, who had the traditional Iron Cross on his helmet, nodded solemnly and ordered the men to stand down. The other Nazis grumbled something or other, but lowered their guns and left the small house. The leader turned to Tintin and said gruffly, "Come vith us. Now."

"I will. Just don't hurt this man or my dog," Tintin said, glancing at Eloi and kneeling next to Snowy. "Stay here Snowy. I'll get out of this," he whispered. He looked at Eloi and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

"Get up," the lead Nazi growled, jabbing Tintin in the back with his gun. Tintin glared over his shoulder and stood up to follow the Nazi. Snowy whimpered and trotted next to Eloi, licking his face.

Eloi patted Snowy's head and smiled weakly. "He'll come back… the Nazis have nothing on him…!" He looked out the ajar door and caught one last glimpse of Tintin before he boarded the Nazis amoured car and rode away.

* * *

Axel von Gottfried had taken his tank and crew back to the base on the De Marcation line. He was pacing back and forth in his tent. He heard that a squadron of men had apprehended Tintin and was eagerly awaiting them to return and deliver the reporter to him. The German stopped walking and chewed on his thumbnail. What if Spyridon had attacked his squad? What if something happened to the car? He heard a car pull up into the base, so he ran out of the tent and shouted, "Wohl?! Haben sie ihn?!"

"Ja! Wir haben Tintin!" the Nazi leader that captured Tintin in Lascaux yelled triumphantly, grabbing a person roughly by the shoulder and throwing him into the dirt. He had a bag over his head and his wrists were bound by rope. Axel ran to the person and yanked the bag off his head. It was Tintin.


End file.
